White-haired woman

A modern Chinese opera and dance. It was created in 1945 by a group of artists from the Yan'an Lu Xun Academy of Art, including He Jingzhi and Ding Yi. The story begins with Xie Er, whose poor peasant father Yang Bailao committed suicide and then became pregnant, fleeing Huang's house and hiding in a cave in the mountains, where her hair turned white. The villagers, who caught a glimpse of Xie Er taking offerings from the temple at night to stave off hunger, fear and revere her as the White Haired Woman. Her former lover Da Chun had become a soldier in the Eighth Route Army. Da Chun ventures into the mountains to uncover the White Haired Woman's true identity in order to dispel the villagers' superstitions, and finds Xie Er. Rescued, Xie Er takes the lead in overthrowing the landlord, and her hair eventually turns black again. Based on folklore from Hebei Province, this work is in the style of an operetta, incorporating folk songs and the gestures of Yangge. The theme song, "The North Wind Blows," is famous. It was made into a film in 1950 and won an award at the 6th International Film Competition. During the Cultural Revolution, the work was also adapted into a ballet and a modern revolutionary Peking opera.

[Toshiaki Maeda]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

現代中国の歌舞劇。1945年、延安魯迅(ろじん)芸術学院の賀敬之、丁毅(ていき)らにより集団創作された。物語は、貧農の父、楊白労(ヤンパイラオ)を悪徳地主黄世仁に自殺させられたうえに自らも妊娠させられた喜児(シーアル)は、黄の家を逃れ出て、山中の洞穴に隠れ住む間に、白髪となってしまった。飢えをしのぐために夜、廟(びょう)の供物をとる喜児の姿をかいまみた村人は、白毛女と恐れ敬う。彼女のかつての恋人大春(ダーチユン)は八路軍の兵士となっていた。彼は、村人の迷信打破のため、白毛女の正体を暴こうと山中に踏み込み、喜児をみいだす。救い出された喜児は地主打倒の先頭にたち、やがて髪は黒さを取り戻した。河北省の民間伝承を素材に、民謡、秧歌(ヤンコー)の身ぶりを取り入れ、オペレッタ風にしたもの。主題曲『北風吹いて』は有名。50年に映画化され第6回国際映画コンクールに入賞。同作品は、文化大革命中、バレエ、現代革命京劇にも改編された。

［前田利昭］

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